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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
A very exciting debut for fantasy/science fiction lovers!! My only critique is that the world building happens without much grace to the reader. So many new words/lands/concepts/creatures/people are thrown out in the first few chapters that it’s hard to get your bearing. But I loved this world even more than I hoped, even after realizing it’s more scific than fantasy (or maybe equal?). Can’t wait for book 2!!
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
it was ok, the romance was very weird and very confusing, i couldn’t really get with any of the characters, I liked that she went crazy at the end
dark
slow-paced
There’s not a rating for this book because unfortunately I’ve DNF’d it.
I’ll start by saying I stopped about 28% of the way through the audiobook and while I can certainly see the appeal and why people would love it, it simply wasn’t for me.
My primary hang-up was the pacing.
At 28% of the way through, all that had happened, in my eyes, was character set-up. And while I love characters (about as much as I love plot in a book), we hadn’t learned much about them. It was mostly them interacting with the world around them while they monologued about something we, as the readers, didn’t know.
And that exactly was the point of conflict I had with the pacing. The world was so emphasized—but we didn’t know anything about the world. This made the characters feel 2-D to me.
At the point where I stopped, the book did start to provide more detail regarding the world, but it happened alongside the (now starting) plot which ended up undermining the intrigue for me.
The combination of both made the book feel long and sluggish.
I don’t think I’d pick up this book again, but I did enjoy what it attempted to do and do think it has intriguing elements of fantasy and sci-fi.
I’ll start by saying I stopped about 28% of the way through the audiobook and while I can certainly see the appeal and why people would love it, it simply wasn’t for me.
At 28% of the way through, all that had happened, in my eyes, was character set-up. And while I love characters (about as much as I love plot in a book), we hadn’t learned much about them. It was mostly them interacting with the world around them while they monologued about something we, as the readers, didn’t know.
And that exactly was the point of conflict I had with the pacing. The world was so emphasized—but we didn’t know anything about the world. This made the characters feel 2-D to me.
At the point where I stopped, the book did start to provide more detail regarding the world, but it happened alongside the (now starting) plot which ended up undermining the intrigue for me.
The combination of both made the book feel long and sluggish.
I don’t think I’d pick up this book again, but I did enjoy what it attempted to do and do think it has intriguing elements of fantasy and sci-fi.
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I’ve had the pleasure of reading this book as both the Boy With Fire and now as the Phoenix King. The part of this book that truly stands out is the gorgeous world-building. The descriptions are rich, but not overly done that it takes away from the rest of the story. I truly enjoyed reading about and learning about the mythology and culture that inspires the world, the magic system, and the characters. There are certain scenes and themes that are so beautifully written yet are also informative on the Indian culture it’s pulling from. It’s the perfect set up for a series of books, and I’m incredibly excited to see where it goes next. On my second read through I did notice that the later part of the book slows down quite a bit, and while the ending reveal is done wonderfully, the lead up is a bit hard to get through. The first portion of the book is so fast-paced and exciting that this sudden change is more noticeable. But otherwise, this book is wonderfully done. I’m fully invested in the characters, their stories, and their motivations. As this series progresses I will absolutely be picking up the next books. Thanks so much to Orbit books for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes